Aperture card



Dec. 27, 1966 T. P. ANDERSON 3,

APERTURE CARD Filed Sept. 5, 1964 INVENIOR. 72/044445 PA/VOCRSON W AITORNEYS A/ United States Patent 3,293,786 APERTURE CARD Thomas P. Anderson, Hubbard Woods, 111., assignor to Microseal Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 3, 1964, Set. N 0. 394,195 16 Claims. (Cl. 40-159) This invention relates to apertured data storage cards particularly of a type which have transparent film pockets formed therein to receive microfilm strips and more specifically relates to an improvement in such cards wherein means are provided to releasably close the film pockets.

As combined data storage and film record cards have been used more and more extensively, a great many things have been learned about the care, protection, preservation and handling of film to be used in conjunction with such cards.

It has in general, for example, been found to be much more desirable to retain microfilm strips within a transparent film pocket in a data storage card than to bond the film directly to the card over an aperture formed therein for a variety of reasons. Among them, are the facts that (1) the relatively soft film surfaces can be protected from abrasion and scratching by the transparent pocket forming sheets; (2) the film can be protected from the long-term harmful effects of direct exposure to atmosphere; (3) the film per se can be kept virtually free from dust and the like; and (4) the film can readily be placed or removed from any given card.

If such pocketed data storage cards are to be handled to any great extent or are expected to be passed through numerous data machine operations, it becomes important to provide some means for insuring that the mounted film strips will not accidentally slip out of their film pockets.

The instant invention provides means for closing the film pocket to positively retain the film strips therein and yet the pocket-closing means is releasable in character to insure that the mounted film strips can readily be removed from their pockets without damage to the card on which they are mounted.

Preferably, those cards which are constructed in accord ance with the principles of this invention have a generally rectangular aperture formed therein which is slightly larger than the film strip to be received thereby and a pair of enveloping members overlie the aperture on opposite sides of the card to form, in conjunction with the edges of the card defining the aperture, a film pocket for receiving the film strip. One of the enveloping members is preferably bonded about all four sides to the card surface by a continuous layer of adhesive lying about the perimeter of the aperture. The enveloping member preferably has three of its four edges bonded to the card surface by a continuous deposit of adhesive lying about three sides of the aperture and this enveloping member has one free edge which overlaps the card surface but which is unsecured thereto, thereby to provide an access opening intermediate the overlapping edge and the card for the insertion and removal of a film strip to and from the film pocket. The overlapping character of the enveloping member is elfective to protect the film from the intrusion of dust and to protect the film to a substantial degree from the adverse effects of exposure to atmosphere.

In each of two embodiments of the invention as illus trated in the drawings, means are provided to adhesively but releasably bond the above mentioned overlapping edge of the enveloping member to the card surface after insertion of the film strip. In each case, the bond is formed within the access opening in the path of travel of the film strip so that as long as the overlapping edge remains 3,293,786 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 ice bonded to the card the film strip will be positively retained within its pocket. The bond can be of a heat-seal type or can be formed by the deposit of non-setting adhesive on the card and/or the overlapping edge of the enveloping member but in any case, the bond is relatively weak and preferably of the non-setting adhesive type so that the bond can readily be broken to permit removal of the film strip and the insertion of another film strip with subsequent rescaling or closing of the access opening.

In another embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the drawings, a small nitch is cut out of one edge of the card defining the aperture at a point immediately underlying the overlapping, unsecured edge of the enveloping member and the two enveloping members are sealed together, again preferably in a releasable fashion, through the nitch either byapplication of a heat-seal prod to the enveloping members within the nitch or by a weak nonsetting adhesive on one or both of the enveloping members at this point.

In view of the foregoing it is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved apertured data storage card having means for releasably maintaining the access opening of a transparent film pocket within such a card in a closed condition to positively retain the film strip within its film pocket.

Another and more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a combined data storage and film record card of the variety discussed above wherein a releasable bond is provided for closing the access opening to the film pocket and wherein the bond between the unsecured overlapping edge of the enveloping member and the card surface or the other enveloping member lies in the path of movement of a film strip inserted into or removed from the film pocket.

Another object of the invention relates to the provision of a film record card of the character described above wherein a nitch is out of the card along one edge of the aperture and wherein the unsecured edge of one of the enveloping members overlies the nitch and is bonded to the other enveloping member by the application of a heat-seal prod through the nitch or the deposit of adhesive at this point.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will become apparent from time to time as the 'following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a front view of a combined data storage and film record card of the character to which the present invention relates;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the card shown in FIGURE 1 and across the aperture whereby to show the disposition of a film strip within the aperture;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary front view of that type of card shown in FIGURE 1 with a first means for effecting closure of the access opening;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view which is similar in nature to FIGURE 3 but which shows a different embodiment of the invention; and

FIGURE 5 is another fragmentary view similar in nature to FIGURES 3 and 4 and showing yet another means for effecting closure of the access opening whereby an enveloping-member-toenveloping-member seal is effected through a nitch cut in the card along one edge of I the aperture.

and is dimensioned slightly larger than a standard sized single-frame piece of microfilm. It can obviously be suitably sized to receive a variety of differently sized and configurated film strips.

A pair of envelop-ing members 12 and 13 overlie the aperture 11 and are adhesively bonded to the front and rear surfaces of the card 10 to define, in conjunction with the edges of the card, a film pocket 14 for receiving a piece of microfilm 15. Such pocketed film record cards as these preferably have the rear enveloping member 13 bonded about all four sides to the rear surface of the card 10 and three edges of the upper enveloping member 12 bonded to the front face of the card around the aperture. A free edge 16 of the enveloping member 12 lies in overlapping relation to the card 10 and is unsecured to the card and provides an access opening 17 between the overlapping edge and the card surface to permit the insertion and removal of a film piece 15 into and out of the film pocket 14.

In an embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE 6, a continuous deposit of adhesive 18 (shown speckled in the drawing) is applied about three edges of the aperture and this adhesive is preferably of the permanently bonding or setting variety. The adhesive is so applied as to insure that the three edges of the enveloping member 12 overlying the adhesive will be securely bonded to the card so that opening will be left to the pocket. The adhesive application is tapered at its two ends outwardly and to the right of the corners 19 of the aperture 11 as is indicated by the numeral 20. The tapered ends of the adhesive deposit facilitate insertion of a film strip into the pocket inasmuch as the overlapping edge 16 of the enveloping member 12 can roll under itself when the leading edge of the film piece abuts it as the film piece is pushed into the card pocket.

A pair of bonding spots 21 are shown in FIGURE 3 beneath the overlapping edge 16 of the enveloping member 12 and it is these bonding spots which insure sufiicient closure of the access opening 17 to prevent accidental movement of the film piece out of its film pocket. It will be noted that the bonding spots 21 are positioned in the path of movement of a film piece moving out of the film pocket.

The bonding spots 21 are so-called because they may comprises spots of relatively weak non-setting adhesive applied either to one or both of the overlapping edges of the enveloping member and/or the surface of the card immediately underlying that edge or, alternatively, may comprise a relatively weak heat-seal. Such a heat-seal can be effected through the plastic enveloping member 12 to the front surface of the card. In any case, the bond between the overlapping edge of the enveloping member and the card surface is of a releasable type so that the bond can be broken without damaging the card or its enveloping members to permit the removal of the film piece from the pocket and insertion of a new piece. If the adhesive employed to effect closure of the access opening is of the non-setting variety, the bond can be broken and then resea-led again after insertion of a new film piece and this process can be repeated several times.

'In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 4 a continuous strip or bar 22 of a weak non-setting adhesive is disposed on one or both of the overlapping edges of the enveloping member 12 and the surface of the card immediately underlying that edge. Again, the adhesive is weak in the sense that one can readily break the bond wihtout doing damage to the rather fragile enveloping member or the card on which it is mounted and is preferably of the non setting variety.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGURE a curved nitch 23 is cut out of the edge of the card immediately underlying the overlapping edge 16 of the enveloping member 12 and the enveloping members 12 and 13 are sealed to one another as indicated at 24 at a point within the nitch 23. The seal 24 is, again of the type that can readily be broken to permit the removal of the film piece 15 without damage to the card or its enveloping members and may be formed by a heat-seal prod uniting the plastic enveloping members at that point or can be formed by .a spot of a relatively weak non-setting adhesive.

It will be understood that these embodiments of the instant invention have been used for illustrative P1111- poses only and that various modifications and variations in the invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. An aperture card comprising:

a flat card having an aperture formed therein,

transparent enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card and cooperating therewith and with one another to define a film pocket,

means bonding said eveloping members to said card on opposite sides thereof to form a permanent, secure, dust-proof bond therebetween,

an access opening formed intermediate one of said enveloping members and said card for permitting insertion and removal of a film strip into and out of the pocket, and

means releasably closing said access opening whereby to maintain said pocket closed to retain a film strip therein.

2. An aperture card constructed in accordance with claim 1 wherein said last-named means comprises a Weak non-setting adhesive.

3. An aperture card comprising:

a fiat card member having an aperture formed therein,

transparent enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card member and cooperating therewith and with one another to define a film pocket,

means bonding said enveloping members to said card member,

an access opening formed intermediate an overlapping edge of one of said enveloping members and said card member for permitting insertion and removal of a film strip into and out of the pocket, and means releasably bonding said overlapping edge of said one of said enveloping members to one of said other members whereby to maintain said pocket closed to retain a film strip therein.

4. An aperture card constructed in accordance with claim 3 wherein said last-named means comprises a weak non-setting adhesive.

5. An aperture card comprising:

a flat card member having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

transparent enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card member and c0- operating therewith and with one another and to define a film pocket,

means bonding four edges of one enveloping member and three of the other to opposite surfaces of said card whereby a fourth edge of one of said enveloping members is left in unsecured overlapping relation to said card providing an access opening for permitting insertion and removal of a film strip into and out of the pocket, and

means releasably bonding the said overlapping edge of said one of said enveloping members to one of said other members whereby to maintain said pocket closed to retain a film strip therein.

6. An aperture card member constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein the said overlapping edge of said one of said enveloping members is bonded to said card member.

7. An aperture card member constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein the last-named means releasably bonding said overlapping edge of said one of said enveloping members to one of said other members comprises a weak non-setting adhesive.

8. An aperture card constructed in accordance with claim 5 wherein said overlapping edge of said one of said enveloping members is bonded to said card member by a weak non-setting adhesive.

9. An aperture card comprising:

a fiat card member having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card member,

a continuous deposit of adhesive lying about all four edges of said aperture on one side of said card member and about three edges of said aperture on the other side of said card member and bonding said enveloping members to said card member to form a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm,

whereby one edge of one of said enveloping members overlaps but is unsecured to said card member to provide an access opening to said pocket, and

a pocket of non-setting adhesive lying on one of said members within said access opening in the path of travel of a film strip passing to and from said pocket to said access opening whereby to releasably close said pocket.

10. An aperture card comprising:

a flat card having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card,

a continuous deposit of adhesive lying about all four edges of said aperture on one side of said card and about three edges of said aperture on the other side of said card and bonding said enveloping members to said card to form a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm,

whereby one edge of one of said enveloping members overlaps but is unsecured to said card to provide an access opening to said pocket, and

a deposit of non-setting adhesive lying on said card beneath the said unsecured edge of said one of said enveloping members in the path of travel of a film strip passing to and from said pocket through said access opening.

11. An aperture card comprising:

a flat card having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein;

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card,

a continuous deposit of adhesive lying about all four edges of said aperture on one side of said card and about three edges of said aperture on the other side of said card and bonding said enveloping members to said card to form a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm,

whereby one edge of one of said enveloping members overlaps but is unsecured to said card to provide an access opening to said pocket, and

deposits of non-setting adhesive lying in spaced relation on said card beneath the said unsecured edge of said one of said enveloping members adjacent the outer limits of said access and in the path of travel of a film strip passing to and from said pocket through said access opening.

12. An aperture card comprising:

a fiat card having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card,

a continuous deposit of non-setting adhesive lying about all four edges of said aperture on one side of said card and about three edges of said aperture on the other side of said card and permanently bonding said enveloping members to said card to form a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm, whereby one edge of one of said enveloping members overlaps but is unsecured to said card to provide an access opening to said pocket, and

a deposit of non-setting adhesive lying on said card beneath the said unsecured edge of said one of said enveloping members in the path of travel of a film strip passing to and from said pocket to said access opening.

13. An aperture card comprising:

a fiat card member having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card member,

a continuous deposit of adhesive lying about all four edges of said aperture on one side of said card member and about three edges of said aperture on the other side of said card member and bonding said enveloping members to said card to form a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm,

whereby one edge of one of said enveloping members overlies but is unsecured to said card member to provide an access opening to said pocket, and

a continuous deposit of a relatively weak non-setting adhesive lying on one of said members and providing a means for releasably bonding two of said members at their interface to releasably close the film pocket,

said last mentioned continuous deposit extending across substantially the entire length of said access opening.

14. An aperture card comprising:

a flat card having an aperture formed therein,

transparent enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card and cooperating therewith and with one another to define a film pocket,

means bonding said enveloping members to said card,

means providing an access opening to said pocket for insertion and removal of a microfilm strip into and out of the pocket,

said access opening being formed at one end of said aperture, and

means releasably bonding said enveloping members to one another at said one end of said aperture to close said access opening whereby to retain a film strip within said pocket.

15. An aperture card comprising:

a fiat card having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card and bonded to said card to define a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm,

an access opening formed intermediate an overlapping edge of one of said enveloping members and said card for permitting insertion and removal of a film strip into and out of the pocket,

a nitch cut out of said card along one edge of said aperture and beneath the said overlapping edge of one of said enveloping members, and

means releasably bonding said enveloping members together through said nitch to retain a film strip within said pocket.

16. An aperture card comprising:

a flat card having a generally rectangular aperture formed therein,

a pair of enveloping members overlying said aperture on opposite sides of said card,

a continuous deposit of adhesive lying about all four edges of said aperture on one side of said card and about three edges of said aperture on the other side of said card and bonding said enveloping members to said card to form a film pocket for receiving a strip of microfilm, whereby one edge of said enveloping members overlaps but is unsecured to said card to provide an access opening to said pocket, 7

a nitch cut into said card along an edge thereof defining said aperture and lying beneath said unsecured edge of said one of said enveloping members, and means releasably bonding said enveloping members together through said nitch to retain a film strip Within said pocket.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Hammar 40159 MacHarg 40--158' Saidel 22948 Wengel 40158 Weihe 40158 Witte 40158 EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN APERTURE CARD COMPRISING: A FLAT CARD HAVING AN APERTURE FORMED THEREIN, TRANSPARENT ENVELOPING MEMBERS OVERLYING SAID APERTURE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CARD AND COOPERATING THEREWITH AND WITH ONE ANOTHER TO DEFINE A FILM POCKET, MEANS BONDING SAID ENVELOPING MEMBERS TO SAID CARD ON OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF TO FORM A PERMANENT, SECURE, DUST-PROOF BOND THEREBETWEEN, AN ACCESS OPENING FORMED INTERMEDIATE ONE OF SAID ENVELOPING MEMBERS AND SAID CARD FOR PERMITTING INSERTION AND REMOVAL OF A FILM STRIP INTO AND OUT OF THE POCKET, AND MEANS RELEASABLY CLOSING SAID ACCESS OPENING WHEREBY TO MAINTAIN SAID POCKET CLOSED TO RETAIN A FILM STRIP THEREIN. 